ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Navy men's soccer head coach Dave Brandt has announced that six commitments hailing from five states are currently participating in plebe summer activities and have joined the Navy men's soccer program for the upcoming 2013 season.

"We're very excited about this group of players. All six are skillful attackers and fit the vision and style of play here very well. They are also excellent fits to the program and the Naval Academy as people - tough, committed, experienced, and passionate are words I would use in describing this group," said Navy head coach Dave Brandt, who is entering his fifth season as Navy head coach. "Though we return a strong core of veterans, this group will impact immediately on the field."

Navy has two recruits, Sam Bascom (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Matt Saunders (Fairfield, Maine) that earned their state's Gatorade Player of the Year accolade, bringing the total to three on the roster as Nick Dubee (Carolina, R.I.) won the award for Rhode Island in 2010.

Also included in the class is Mark Shiiba (Swarthmore, Pa.), the brother of current sophomore Thomas Shiiba (Swarthmore, Pa.), who tallied 11 points a year ago for the Midshipmen. They are the first brother combo to play on the same squad since the Copare brothers (Brett & Jason) in 2004.

Navy posted a 7-7-3 overall record in 2012 and returns almost 75 percent of its scoring from last year's squad that ranked 23rd nationally in scoring offense and had five players score at least 10 points for the first time since 2000. Brandt welcomes back six starters and 17 letterwinners overall.

#11 | Sam Bascom | Forward | 5-11 | 164 | Cincinnati, Ohio | Madeira
Bascom graduated in 2013 from Madeira High School, picking up four letters in soccer ... had a sensational high school career, capped off by being named Ohio's Gatorade Player of the Year after scoring 85 points (27 g, 31 a) in just 23 games, leading Madeira into the Division III State Quarterfinals in 2012 ... was the Division III State Player of the Year and also competed in the NSCAA High School All-American game, where he was the East team's MVP ... was an NSCAA All-American as well as an NSCAA Scholar All-American ... was a three-time all-state selection and a two-time conference Player of the Year ... led team to three CHL League Championships, a pair of sectional and district titles and led team to a state semifinal berth as a junior ... served as team captain as a senior ... finished his career with an astonishing 253 points (91 g, 71 a) ... turned down offers from traditional powers Xavier, SMU, Boston College, Duke and 2012 NCAA runner-up Georgetown, among others ... also lettered once in basketball ... was a member of Spanish Club and Youth Group ... born December 29, 1994 in Cincinnati, Ohio ... son of Dan and Tina Bascom ... brother, Nate, played soccer for four years at Ohio Northern University ... grandfather, Alex Aronis, is a 1955 graduate of the Naval Academy and was a three-year letterwinner on the football team. He was part of the "Team Named Desire" squad that defeated Mississippi in the 1955 Sugar Bowl, 21-0. He served as a Navy Chaplain and was deployed on the USS Missouri, the ship where Japan signed its surrender following World War II.

#17 | Daniel Camuti | Midfielder | 6-0 | 165 | Germantown, Tenn. | Memphis University School
A 2013 graduate of Memphis University School, Camuti lettered three times in soccer ... also competed for Midsouth FC for seven years ... led team to the 2010 regional title and a 2013 regional runner-up finish ... was named a two-time all-state honoree and was a Best of Preps finalist from the Memphis Commercial Appeal, as well as a spot on the all-metro team ... was a member of the National Honor Society and Community Service Honor Society and was a student ambassador, mentor and peer tutor ... born March 4, 1995, in Naples, Fla. ... son of Edmund and Margaret Camuti ... father, Edmund, played football at Lehigh for three years and mother, Margaret, played tennis at DePauw for four years ... uncle, Mike Priefer, attended the Naval Academy and flew helicopters for six years during tours during the Persian Gulf War. He is currently an assistant coach for the Minnesota Vikings and regarded as one of the top special teams' coaches in the NFL.

#3 | Alex Evans | Forward | 5-8 | 140 | Lansdale, Pa. | North Penn
Evans lettered three times in soccer and one time in baseball at North Penn Senior High School, graduating in 2013 ... was named a first-team all-conference honoree as a senior and served as the team captain ... was a member of the Honor Roll (2009-13) and the North Penn Ski and Board Club ... high school teammates, Matt Robinson and Sean Gorman, will play at La Salle and West Chester, respectively ... born May 6, 1995, in Abington, Pa. ... son of David and Sheryl Evans.

#5 | Matthias Pecoraro | Forward | 5-6 | 153 | Silver Spring, Md. | St. Anselm's Abbey School
A 2013 graduate of St. Anselm's Abbey School, Pecoraro lettered four times in soccer ... was named a four-time PVAC All-Conference selection, was the PVAC's leading scorer three times and served as his team captain twice ... played on the Olney Rangers club team as a senior in high school, leading the Rangers to a National League division title and advancement to the National Championships ... competed on the U16 and U15 club team, the Baltimore Bays (Chelsea Academy) ... helped club team to a No. 3 national ranking, the Bethesda Thanksgiving Tournament Championship, the Arlington Invitational Championship and a spot in the finals of the Disney Tournament ... also visited Air Force on a recruiting visit ... born September 28, 1995, in Silver Spring, Md. ... son of Thomas and Courtenay Pecoraro ... club teammate of Indiana freshman Sean Cowdrey and six players from the Class of 2014 that will be attending Division I schools.

#24 | Matt Saunders | Midfielder | 5-11 | 175 | Fairfield, Maine | Lawrence
A 2013 graduate of Lawrence High School, Saunders had a sensational high school career, lettering four times in soccer and three times in basketball ... as a senior, Saunders was named Maine's Gatorade Player of the Year, a scholar All-American by NSCAA, All-New England, all-state, all-conference, the Kennebuc Valley Conference Player of the Year and the Morning Sentinel Player of the Year ... tallied 43 points (19 g, 5 a) in just 16 games, leading his team to the Eastern Maine Class A Quarterfinals ... led his club soccer team, Seacoast United, to five straight Maine State Championships (2009-13) while serving as the team captain three times ... also earned all-conference as a freshman, sophomore and junior and all-state as a junior ... netted 50 goals during his high school career ... on the hardwood, Saunders was a KVAC All-Defense Team honoree and an Academic All-State selection ... was the class historian, a member of National Honors Society, earned High Honors for all 16 quarters of his high school career, a Big Brother Big Sister Volunteer and volunteered at the Waterville Humane Society ... born Dec. 23, 1994, in Waterville, Maine ... son of Nathan and Cordelia Saunders ... brother, Josh, rank track and cross country at Cedarville University.

#19 | Mark Shiiba | Defenseman | 5-9 | 150 | Swarthmore, Pa. | Strath Haven
A 2013 graduate of Strath Haven High School, Shiiba also competed with the FC Delco Academy outside of Philadelphia ... was a two-time All-Central League selection and competed with the U16 Philadelphia Union Academy ... also helped the Strath Haven football team at the request of a friend, connecting on a 26-yard field goal to beat rival Springfield, 16-14, in what his first career football game ... did not play soccer as a senior at Strath Haven High School to focus on playing with FC Delco ... son of Htsushi and Christine Shiiba ... brother, Thomas, is a sophomore on the Navy soccer team, allowing them to become first set of brothers to play on the same team at Navy since the Copare brothers (Brett and Jason) in 2004 ... also visited Princeton, Delaware, Seton Hall and George Mason. His George Mason visit occurred on the night that Navy defeated the 20th-ranked Patriots, 2-1.